The City of Hopkins is issuing the results of monitoring done on its drinking water for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2003. The purpose of this report is to advance the consumers' understanding of drinking water and heighten awareness of the need to protect precious water resources.

Source of Water

The City of Hopkins provides drinking water to its residents from a groundwater source: three wells ranging from 495 to 548 feet deep, that draw water from the Prairie Du Chien-Jordan aquifer.

The Minnesota Department of Health has determined that one or more sources of your drinking water is susceptible to contamination. If you wish to obtain the entire source water assessment regarding your drinking water, please call 651-215-0800 or 1-800-818-9318 (press 5) during normal business hours, or view it online.

Call 952-548-6373 if you have questions about the City of Hopkins drinking water or would like information about opportunities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. Food & Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. The sources of drinking water (both tap & bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. Drinking water may reasonable be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or other human activity.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/Aids or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can occur naturally or come from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
• Pesticides and herbicides, which come from agriculture, and residential uses.
• Organic chemicals contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are industrial and petroleum process byproducts and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can occur naturally or result from oil and gas productions and mining activities.

Results of Monitoring

The results contained in the following table indicate an exceedance of a federal standard. Some other contaminants were detected in trace amounts that were below the legal limits. The table that follows shows the contaminants that were detected in trace amounts last year. (Some contaminants are sampled less frequently than once a year; as a result, not all contaminants were sampled for 2003. If any of these contaminants were detected the last time they were sampled for, they are included in the table along with the date that the detection occurred.)

Key To Table Abbreviations

• MCLG - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
• MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
• MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
• AL - Action Level - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow.
• 90th Percentile Level - This is the value obtained after disregarding 10 percent of the samples taken that had the highest levels. For example, in a situation in which 10 samples were taken, the 90th percentile level is determined by disregarding the highest result, which represents 10 percent of the samples. Note: In situations in which only 5 samples are taken, the average of the two with the highest levels is taken to determine the 90th percentile.
• PCi/l - PicoCuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity).
• Ppb - Parts per billion, which can also be expressed as micrograms per liter (ug/l).
• Ppm - Parts per million, which can also be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/l).
• N/A - Not applicable (does not apply).

*This is the value used to determine compliance with federal standards. It sometimes is the highest value detected and sometimes is an average of all the detected values. If it is an average, it may contain sampling results from the previous year.

Radon is a radioactive gas which is naturally occurring in some groundwater. If poses a lung cancer risk when gas is released from water into air (as occurs during showering, bathing, or washing dishes or clothes) and stomach cancer risk when it is ingested. Because radon in indoor air poses a much greater health risk than radon in drinking water, an Alternative Maximum Contaminant Level (AMCL) of 4,000 picoCuries per liter may apply in states that have adopted an Indoor Air Program, which compels citizens, homeowners, schools, and communities to reduce the radon threat from indoor air. For states without such a program, the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 300 pCi/l may apply. Minnesota plans to adopt an Indoor Air Program once the Radon Rule is finalized.

*We are in exceedance of the action level for copper. Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's disease should consult their doctor. In response to this issue, we performed a corrosion control study to make the water less likely to absorb materials such as copper from your plumbing.

Some contaminants do not have a Maximum Contaminant Levels established for them. These "unregulated contaminants" are assessed using state standards known as health risk limits to determine if they pose a threat to human health. If unacceptable levels of an unregulated contaminant are found, the response is the same as if an MCL has been exceeded; the water system must inform its customers and take other corrective actions. In the table that follows, are the unregulated contaminants that were detected:

For more information on water quality, contact Water and Sewer Superintendent at 952-548-6373.

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